Give Blood

During the summer, blood donations typically drop off dramatically as donors go on vacation and schools close, but the need for blood never takes a holiday.

The next opportunity to give in Hood River will be July 24, 1 to 6 p.m. at Best Western Plus Hood River Inn.

Call Margo Parker to set up an appointment at 541-387-3669, or online at www.redcrossblood.org

(code hoodriver).

Individuals’ needs vary greatly, and sometimes turn into emergencies. Red Cross literature describes the life-threatening surgery and recovery of one mother, Gina Walker, who was scheduled for C-section after being diagnosed with placenta accreta, in which the placenta attaches itself too deeply into the wall of the uterus. Doctors called for 30 units of blood in the delivery room but the surgery took far longer than expected, much more blood was needed in ICU, and subsequent surgeries required even more supplies. Walker has since established a nonprofit organization, Hope for Accreta, to raise awareness of the condition, which affects one in 2,500 pregnancies, all needing adequate supplies of blood.